Indiana got off to busy start in 2015 with higher education policy debates spanning venues such as broad as local newspapers, to Governor Pence’s State of the State address, and all the way to the national policy organization AASCU.
The Indianapolis Star newspaper reported that the Indiana lawmakers will have to “divvy up dollars” for the successful college scholarship program for low income students: 21st Century Scholars. The booming success of the program will necessitate $93 million to meet education obligations—and that is good news. “In the next two years, the state will see its highest numbers of 21st Century Scholars” or 27,000 students up from previous year totals closer to 12,000, according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Tough decisions will have to be made allocation across educational programs such as pre-kindergarten, vouchers, charter school funding,
According to Teresa Lubbers, state commissioner for higher education, “The rise of 21st Century Scholars, projected from 2013 through 2017, comes at a time when college enrollment overall has remained stagnant. It could have been caused by more low-income families who struggled in the economic downturn.” The increase may have resulted from a statewide push for higher
education for Hoosiers. See http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2014/12/30/indianas-college-commitment-will-crunch-education-funding/20831925/
Class of 2013: 17,197.
Class of 2014: 22,512.
Class of 2015: 27,516.
Class of 2016: 24,053.
Class of 2017: 20,368.